Wire gate



.(No Model.) '2 sheets-sheen 1. S. ROWLAND.

WIRE GATE Patented Oct. 14.1884.

(No Mom.) l 2 sneetwsheen 2.

S. ROWLAND.

WIRE GATE.

N0. 306,644. Patented Oct. 1 4, 1884.

mph. wasmngm". n. c.

IINTTBD STATES PATENT Ormes..

SAMUEL ROWLAND, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

WIRE GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,644, dated October 14, 1884.

Application filed August 13, 1883. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom, 'it may concern.-

Beit known that I, SAMUEL ROWLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in XVire-Fenee Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to wire-fence gates; aud -its object is to provide a cheap and dura- IOQble gate of simple construction to be used in barb-wire or other fences.

In my invention the gate is composed of barb or other wires, the wires of the gate being secured to the fence-post at one end by a double pivoted lever-hook, so that the act of hooking the wires stretches them taut and locks the hook. At the other end the wires of the gate are secured to the gate-post in any convenient lnanner, but preferably by screwstaples. Ordinarily I secure all the wires of the gate to an end piece, so that a single piv-' oted lever-hook may be used for stretching and fastening them all at one operation to the gate-post. In this case I also provide a light 2 5 wooden bar or rail near the middle ofthe gate for the purpose of supporting the wires and end pi'ece ofthe gate when the same is swung open. rThis bar lits loosely in the end piece, so that the wires may be stretched.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a' perspec- 3 5 tive view, enlarged, of thelever-hook for securing the free end of the gate to the gate-post. Fig. 3 is a view of a modification in which separate lever-hooks are used for each wire. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the post on line44 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 of Fig. l.

In said drawings, A and A represent the e-posts, and B B are the wires of the gate. Th wires B are each secured to the post A by screw-staples b, which are screwed into the fence-post, the wire being coiled one or more times around the eye 0f the staple, and then secured by eoiling the free end thereof around the wire itself, so that each wire B is in this 5o way hinged to the gate-post.

The wires B are secured at the other end to the Vertical bar G by means of the countersunk buttons c, which fit flush with the edge of the bar G, so that the gate-wires B may be turnedin the bar C in putting up the gate, in the manner hereinafter described.

The gate-wires B, thus secured tothe bar C, are Vlocked and fastened to the gate-post Aby means of a pivoted lever-hook, D.A Theleverhook D is pivoted to the hook-plate E, which .is secured to the post in any suitable manner, as by screws e.

F is the clevis, whiclris pivoted or secured to the gatebar C, and which engages with the hook ofthe plate E to close the gate.

G is the rear vertical gatebar, through which the wires B of the gate pass, thus supporting the same.

H is a light 'horizontal har secured to the bar G, near its middle, and provided witha 7o brace, h, so as to supportthe same from said bar G in ahorizontal position. The barHts loosely in the bar G at the free end of the gate, so that the latter may slide freely thereon when the wires are stretched by the lever- 75 hook D in closing the gate. The gate-post A is provided with a shoulder or jamb, a, and projecting flanges a, between, which ianges and shoulder the gate-bar G fits.

The lever-hook D is pivoted to the hookplate E either above or below the line of draft 'of the clevis F when the gateis closed, so that the strain or tension on the hook will tend to fasten or look the same.

The hook c on the hook-plate E is curved eccentrically to the pivot e2 of the lever I), so that the operation of the hook-lever D is to raise the clevis F in and out of the hook e on the hook-plate, and as the hook progresses around plateE gradually gaius in lever-power and stretches the wires B.

To close the gate, the clevis F is placed in the hook of the hook-lever D and the lever is turned to draw the clevisinto the hook e of the hook-plate E, thus stretching the wires B of the gate. l To open the gate, the lever D is turned in the opposite direction, so as to raise the clevis out of the hook c of the hook-plate, when the tension or retraction of the wires B will draw the bar C out from between the shoulder c and flanges c of the gate-post A', and then the gate may be swung open in either direction, the staples b, to which the wires B are secured, serving as hinges, and the braced IOO e l y 306,644

bar H serving to support the swinging end of the gate.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 a separate lever-hook, D, hook-plate E, and vclevis F are employed for each oi' the fence-wires B of the gate, in which ease the lever-hook D is made of slightly different form and the clevis F elongated, so that the handle of the leverhook D may shut down inside the clevis. Instead of employing a separate hook for each i'encewire, as shown in Fig. 3, two or more of the wires may be secured to a vertical bar, C, in which case of course one lever-hook would answer for two or more of the wires.

In constructing or putting up the gate the wires B are first cut ot' suitable length, passed through holes in the bar C, and secured to the buttons e. rlhe other ends of the wires are then passed through holes in the bar G and secured to staples Z, when said staples may be screwed into the post A. By turning the serew staples b the wires B may be readily and quickly adjusted to the same tension. Before adjusting the tension of" the wiresit will be nn derstood, of course, that the free end of the gate should be closed by the hook-lever. In screwing in the staples b the buttons c permit the gate-wires B to turn or revolve without twisting the same. The clevis F should be pivoted to the end piece of the gate centrally with the line of draft, and the horizontal bar H should also be located centrally with the line oi' draft, so that the straining ol' the wires by the lever-hook D will not tend to cause the tenon of the bar H to bind in its mortise in the end piece of the gate. The pin or bolt by which the clevis F is secured to the end piece of the gate should pass centr: lly through the tenon of the bar H, which is slotted to admit of its sliding, as shown in Fig. 2.

In place ot the simple staples shown, hooks and eyes forming hinges, as on other gates, may be employed, if preferred.

My barbed-wire gate has many obvious advantages over `ordinary wooden gates, whichv are heavy and require substantial posts to carry them, and tend to draw a wire fence out of position. Vooden gates also furnish the only rubbing-place in a wire fence for stock, and they consequently are liable to be very soon rubbed or broken dow n by stock or blown down by the wind, while all the other parts of the wire fence remain intact, and they are often obstructed by drifts of snow, thus occasioning great inconvenience, as the snow must be shoveled away before they can be opened.

My barbed-wire gate forms no more of a rubbing-place for stock than any other part of the barbed fence, oil'ers little or no obstruction to the drifting snow, the wind exerts little pressure upon it, and it is very cheap and simple of construction.

I claiml. The combination of the gatepost A, staples b, secured thereto, wires B, secured to the eyes of said staples so that they may swing on said staples as a hinge, clevis F, hook-plate E, and wire-stretching lever-hook D, )ivoted to said plate, and adapted to turn thereon, so as to carry the line of draft beyond its pivot, and thus lock the lever, substantial] y as specified.

2. rlhe combination of the post A, wires B, hinged thereto, vert-ical bar G, supported on said wires, horizontal bar H, provided with brace h, end piece, C, loosely mounted onsaid bar H, so as to slide thereon, and means for at once stretching the wires and fastening the end of the gate, substantially as specified.

3. rlhe combination ofthe post A, wires B, hinged thereto, vertical bar G, supported on said wires, horizontal bar H, provided with brace h, end piece, G, secured loosely to said bar H, so as to slide thereon, clevis F, secured to said bar C, hook-plate E, )rovided with hook e, and lever-hook D, pivoted to said plate E outside the line of draft, whereby the wires of said gate may be stretched and the end of the gate fastened, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a hinged wire gate, of a post, A', provided with a shoulder, a, and flanges a', between which thevend piece of the gate may fit, of means for stretching the wires and drawing the gate-piece between said shoulder and fianges and simultaneously locking the same, substantially as specified.

Signed at Elgin, Kane county, Illinois, this 7th day of August, 1883.

SAMUEL ROYV LAND.

Witnessesz SAMUEL R. McEwEN, J. It. BoYLns. 

